Abstract

Congregationalism is a form of church government in which authority rests with local church meetings, comprising all church members. 21st century Christians of other traditions sometimes criticise their peers for being ‘congregational’ when what they are really objecting to is parochialism. In some ways, it would hardly be surprising were independent churches found to have a narrower outlook. Indeed, one of the features of some of the early Scottish Churches organised on a Congregational basis was that they were too inward-looking to attract new members and grow. In practice, though, the revival of Scottish Congregationalism from the 1790s onwards was underpinned by a zeal for missionary outreach across Scotland and also overseas.
In exploring that revival, this study will demonstrate that growth was not inspired by devotion to a particular way of organising the Church. Rather, Congregationalism was a means not an end. Independency became a convenient home for a movement which might, in other circumstances, have led to revival within another denomination. Many attracted to Congregationalism in this period were drawn by its personal and optimistic theology – something that continued with the formation of the Evangelical Union in 1843. This change in theological outlook was crucial to inspiring missionary endeavour both at home and overseas.
As other shades of dissent emerged, many adherents transferred their allegiance from Congregationalism. They had been attracted by what they found in Congregationalism – rather than being committed to Congregationalism as a principle of church government.
This study summarises growth and proposes explanations for decline – as well as exploring (in the published papers), as examples, the witness in Angus, Bute, Perthshire, and Aberdeen. In addition, the founding role played by a Scot on the Isle of Man is examined. In order to make claims for Scottish Congregationalism as a whole, it has been important to evidence that what happened in the geographical areas examined in detail was, in fact, representative of the country as a whole.
Whereas historians of Scottish Congregationalism have tended to adopt a linear approach (tracing earlier native denominations organised in a Congregational manner),
this study does attempt a wider outlook, examining not just what was happening in other denominations at the time, but also wider societal changes. Though revival was not intrinsically linked to Congregationalism as a form of church order, Congregationalism’s non-hierarchical structure did offer a competitive advantage in allowing a quicker and more flexible response to emerging needs in Scotland. One tenet of this study is that denominational boundaries, in practice, were more permeable than is often realised.
In conclusion, the study will attempt to present some evidence for Scottish Congregationalism acting as a catalyst for wider change, notably in the Presbyterian churches.